While we will never get my dream, a 16-team playoff, I am going to lay it out anyway, just so Ed can have a look, and hope that in the not too distant future, an 8 team playoff will happen. Here goes

Let us imagine that the NCAA asked me to design a playoff format. Let us imagine that system were in place today. This is how it would work

On the Friday/Saturday/Sunday following the conference championship games, We would begin the playoffs. The top 16 teams, according to the BCS poll would be in this playoff, with two games Friday, five games Saturday, and a final game Sunday. Seedings would work like this

#1 Notre Dame hosting #16 Nebraska

#2 Alabama hosting #15 Northern Illinois

#3 Florida hosting #13 Oregon State

#4 Oregon hosting #14 Clemson

#5 Kansas State hosting #12 Florida State

#6 Stanford hosting #1o South Carolina

#7 Georgia hosting #11 Oklahoma

#8 LSU hosting #9 Texas A&M

NOTE: I redid a few seedings match ups to prevent so many inter-conference games. I did leave LSU-Texas A&M in place.

Now look at these games, who does not think that would make a great first round?

After these games are played, the eight losers would be eligible to receive invitations to various bowl games. The four BCS Bowls, Fiesta, Orange, Rose and Sugar, would host the eight winners, according to seeding (highest vs lowest). Those games to be played January 1-2.

Let us say that these games would be #1 Notre Dame vs # 14 Clemson in the Orange Bowl. #2 Alabama vs #11 Oklahoma in the Sugar Bowl. #3 Florida vs #6 Stanford in the Rose Bowl, and #5 K-State vs #8 LSU in the Fiesta Bowl

At this point, all the bowl games would be done, and four teams would still be standing

The following weekend, the two semi-final games would be played at two BCS sites, the four sites would rotate these semi-final games. Let us predict that #2 Alabama would play #14 Clemson in one and that #3 Florida would play #5 K-State in the other

The following Monday night, we would have the BCS Championship game. Held at a site picked by a committee, like the Superbowl site is picked

Let us predict that it would be Alabama and Florida.

Florida is your national champ. OK I might be biased there, but there is your model

A side note here. This year there would be four inter-conference match ups in the first round, that would be a rare occurrence, and one that could be remedied with some re-seeding. Such as # 3 playing #13 instead of playing #14, and #4 playing #14, rather than playing #14. You could also bracket these games like the NCAA basketball tourney with the winner of #1 vs #16 playing the winner of #8 vs #9.

You can read my rant against the BCS, and all my bowl selections thru Dec 29’s games here

Now, marching on through the entire bowl schedule

New Year’s Eve brings us some promising games, starting with Vandy, and NC State in the Franklin Amer. Mort. Music City Bowl in Nashville. Since you will not be drunk yet, you can watch this game without double vision. Vandy wins here. Why, because the SEC dominates the ACC

Next up will be the Hyundai Sun Bowl or the Crappy Imported Car Sun Bowl as I call it. USC should win over Georgia Tech in this one.

In the AutoZone Liberty Bowl Tulsa meets Iowa State, yes the Hurricanes and Cyclones will blow us away in this one. Who wins? Who cares? Give me the Cyclones in a stormy finish

In the Chick-fil-A Bowl, which used to be called the Peach Bowl, we get a matchup of two teams deserving of BCS slots, Clemson, and LSU. Tough game to pick, but call it LSU by four

In the, as a resident of Dallas I am ashamed to even write this corny name, but Heart of Dallas Bowl Purdue rolls in to meet Oklahoma State, and the Boilermakers will get pounded on New Years Day. OSU BIG in this one

The TaxSlayer.com Gator Bowl, good grief just call it the Gator Bowl, Northwestern and Mississippi State clash. The MSU Bulldogs should win, and their fans should be beaten with their obnoxious cowbells they insist on bringing to games!

The Capital One Bowl in Orlando has a marquee match up of traditional powers as the Georgia Bulldogs meet the Nebraska Huskers. Nebraska lost to Wisconsin 70-24 in the Big ten Championship. The is bad for Husker fans, what is worse is that Georgia is a lot better than Wisconsin.

In Tampa, the Outback Bowl, where your steak is ALWAYS cooked wrong, featuring Michigan and South Carolina, Fun fact is that Michigan began its season by getting waxed by an SEC team, and will end its season the same way

In the Rose Bowl, Stanford, and Wisconsin hook up. And this one will be good, with Stanford winning a close one

To close out New Year’s Day FSU, and Northern Illinois meet in the Orange Bowl. No one is giving NIU a shot, but FSU has been over rated all year, so expect a thriller, with FSU lucking out on some fluke play.

January 2 sees my beloved Florida Gators meet up with Louisville in the Sugar Bowl. do you really need me to say my pick here?

The best bowl match up happens on Jan. 3rd in the Fiesta Bowl as Oregon meets Kansas State. Should be a wild affair. In the end K-State will not have enough to keep up with the Ducks

The Cotton Bowl goes down on Jan 4th, The Oklahoma Sooners and the Texas A&M Aggies meet. Great one here, with the Aggies edging the Sooners

Time to wrap this up, in the BBVA Compass Bowl on January 5thPitt and Ole Miss hook up, with Ole Miss prevailing

In the last bowl before the BCS Championship Game Kent State and Arkansas State collide in the GODADDY.COM Bowl, and no doubt hot women in commercials will be a draw. Who wins? Go with Arky State!

Finally, we will reach January 7th, and Bama vs the Irish. I think everyone knows my pick here. Bama should roll, let’s say 38-13. And yes their fans will be even harder to live with, and yes that SEC streak will reach 7, and yes, after that game, I will have to wait nearly eight months to see the best sport on earth again.

FIESTA BOWL – 01/03/13 (8:30pm ET)
Kansas State vs. OregonOregon Ducks – WNote: the Fiesta Bowl is one of many useless bowl game concepts that should never have been realized, but because the teams playing in it this year are among the top five teams in the country, I decided to include it in my list of bowl games that actually matter.

First, before we get to all the bowls, and my picks, I think the suckage from the BCS reached historic proportions this year. Northern Illinois will play in the Orange Bowl, despite a # 15 ranking, and will get plowed by Florida State. Look, I salute the Huskies for winning the MAC great! But seriously, the BCS passed on Georgia, LSU, Texas A&M, South Carolina, Oklahoma, AND Clemson to choose Northern Illinois? Of course that was not the only issue with the BCS, all those teams that were passed over were also passed over so #21 Louisville could go play my Gators in the Sugar Bowl? #21 playing #3? Yes, I know, Louisville won the Big East, well actually they finished in a four-way tie, so they get an automatic bid. Come on! Winning the Big East is like winning an ass kicking contest against a one-legged man. Of course, the BCS rule that only two teams from the same conference can play in BCS bowls is idiotic. And boy, did the SEC get screwed by that rule. We have six of the top ten teams, but only two my Gtaors, and Alabama, who will beat Notre Dame like a rented mule, get BCS bowls? Oh, by the way, Wisconsin, who is not even ranked “won” the Big Ten so they get the Rose Bowl? Again SCREW YOU Georgia, LSU, Texas A&M, South Carolina, Oklahoma, AND Clemson!

Excuse me for a second but we now have 10 slots for the five BCS bowls, we have a ranking system. Why not use that ranking system to put the top ten teams in those games? Yes, OF COURSE! That would make too much sense, what was I thinking? I cannot wait for 2014, when we go to a four team playoff. I wonder how the powers that be will make a mockery of that?

Now, on to the bowls, which start December 15 in the GILDAN NEW MEXICO BOWL where Arizona and Nevada will hook up! Go with Zona there. Also that day We get the bowl with the most idiotic name the FAMOUS IDAHO POTATO BOWL( and you thought the old Poulan Weed-Eater Bowl was bad) with Toledo and Utah State. Go Utah State Aggies on this one.

On to December 20, when we get the SAN DIEGO COUNTY CREDIT UNION POINSETTIA BOWL (maybe I said the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl was the worst named bowl too soon?) where BYU and and San Diego Stare hook up. Go Aztces here!

The next night we get the BEEF ‘O’ BRADY’S BOWL, in St. Petersburg Florida. With Central Florida and Ball State playing. Go UCF here! As a side note, Beef O’Bradys is now a national chain, but once it was one location, on Kings Avenue in Brandon Florida, and they had the BEST wings evah! I remember because I may, or may not have gotten sloshed there.

On to Dec 22 when we get East Carolina vs. Louisiana-Lafayette in the R+L CARRIERS NEW ORLEANS BOWL go with La Lafhere and Washington vs. No. 19 Boise State in the MAACO BOWL Boise is the good choice there

Then, on the 26th, in case you are craving REALLY awful pizza, tune in to Western Kentucky vs. Central Michigan squaring off in the LITTLE CAEASARS BOWL! Go with Central Michigan and LOTS of Maalox here!

Next comes December 27, and three bowls to feast on. In the MILITARY BOWL – PRESENTED BY NORTHROP GRUMMAN we get San Jose State vs. Bowling Green. Go San Jose here

In the BELK BOWL, yes, they really are going with that name. Cincinati and Duke clash. If you just watch one bowl game this year, please do not let this be the one. Bearcats win

In the legendary BRIDGEPOINT EDUCATION HOLIDAY BOWL UCLA and Baylor match up in what ought to be a great one. Go with UCLA in a shootout

On to December 28th and Ohio and Louisiana-Monroe in the AdvoCare V100 INDEPENDENCE BOWL. What is advocare? How should I know. why should you care. Go with Monroe here

Then check out the RUSSELL ATHLETIC BOWL featuring Rutgers and Virginia Tech, which Rutgers will win.

Next, Minnesota and Texas Tech meet in the MEINEKE CAR CARE BOWL OF TEXAS. I think you can get a free tune up at halftime or something. Tech should take this one.

On the 29th, in the ARMED FORCES BOWL, Rice and Air Force meet. Let’s see Air Force or Rice? In the Armed Forces Bowl? Go with the team with jets and missiles

Then, in what could be a high scoring affair Syracuse and West Virginia meet up in the NEW ERA PINSTRIPE BOWL. Dumb name, good game, Mountaineers roll.

Next, if hunger strikes you watch the KRAFT FIGHT HUNGER BOWL, theywere going to call it the Kraft Hopes You Starve Bowl, but that got nixed. Anyway Navy and Arizona State clash. Go with the Sun Devils.

In what ought to be a fine game at the VALERO ALAMO BOWL it is #23 Texas vs. No. 13 Oregon State. Tough call but I say Beavers rule.

Wrapping up that Saturdays slate is the BUFFALO WILD WINGS BOWL with TCU vs. Michigan State. Go with TCU, and the Asian Zing sauce with this one

The offensive fireworks that have dominated this bowl season continued Wednesday night with No. 22 West Virginia’s record-setting 70-33 rout of 14th-ranked Clemson in the Discover Orange Bowl at Sun Life Stadium.

It was the sixth bowl to produce at least 70 total points, joining the Rose, Fiesta, Alamo, Military and Maaco bowls.

The Mountaineers led 49-20 at the half, the most points by one team in a half in any bowl in history, and set an overall scoring record for any bowl with 6:21 remaining

The game turned for good when Clemson’s Andre Ellington fumbled on the West Virginia 1-yard line early in the second quarter and Darwin Cook took the turnover 99 yards for a touchdown. That gave the Mountaineers a 28-17 lead, a margin that kept expanding when Clemson quarterback Tajh Boyd was intercepted and lost a fumble that led to two more West Virginia touchdowns before the half ended.

West Virginia (10-3) played without leading rusher Dustin Garrison, who went down with a knee injury in practice earlier in the week. The Mountaineers never missed him, as quarterback Geno Smith earned the game’s most outstanding player award by completing 30 of 41 passes for an Orange Bowl-record 401 yards and BCS-game record six touchdowns. Shawne Alston delivered two short scoring runs and Tavon Austin had four touchdown catches.

Clemson (10-4) used Andre Ellington’s 68-yard touchdown run and a 27-yard pass from Boyd to DeAndre Hopkins to take a 17-14 lead that set an Orange Bowl first-quarter record for points. West Virginia countered with a short scoring run by Alston and an 8-yard pass from Smith to Austin.

But after the Mountaineers moved in front 21-17 on Smith’s 8-yard TD toss to Austin, Cook delivered his stunning turnaround recovery to set the course of the game. It was the longest defensive scoring play in Orange Bowl history.

West Virginia dashed whatever miracle comeback ideas Clemson harbored by scoring on its first two possessions of the second half on scoring passes from Smith to Stedman Bailey and Austin. Clemson lost a combined 23 yards on its first two possessions before finally ending its scoring drought when Boyd connected with Hopkins for a 28-yard touchdown late in the period to make it 63-26 entering the fourth quarter.

Clemson was in the Orange Bowl for only the second time and first since its national championship run in 1981 when it defeated Nebraska 22-15. This was the Tigers’ first BCS appearance.

This might have been West Virginia’s final game in the Big East. The Mountaineers have agreed to join the Big 12 and have filed a lawsuit against the Big East seeking an immediate exit.

West Virginia had played in 30 bowls but never the Orange. The Mountaineers only previous meeting with Clemson was a 27-7 loss in the 1989 Gator Bowl.

It was a performance reminiscent of Elway, the former Stanford quarterback who is expected to become the Denver Broncos’ chief football executive this week. He served as an honorary captain, and ex-Stanford QB Jim Plunkett was also on hand to lend support.

The Cardinal (12-1) likely will end the season ranked in the top 5 for the first time since the unbeaten 1940 team finished No. 2. Their success comes only four years after they went 1-11 and hired Harbaugh as coach to lead a turnaround.

Virginia Tech (11-3), playing in a bowl game for the 18th consecutive year, fell to 1-27 against top-5 teams.

Stanford threw a completion for a bizarre safety and blew two extra points, but overcame those mistakes with six plays gaining more than 30 yards. Two came in succession on a two-play, 97-yard “drive,” and the Cardinal outscored Tech 27-0 in the second half.

Coby Fleener caught scoring passes of 41, 58 and 38 yards from Luck, all in the final 21 minutes. Zach Ertz had a 25-yard TD reception, Jeremy Stewart scored on a 60-yard run and Stepfan Taylor added a 56-yard run. Fullback-linebacker Owen Marecic scored on a 1-yard run and had a sack.

Luck went 18 for 23 and was chosen the Orange Bowl most valuable player. Fleener had six catches for 173 yards for the Cardinal, who outgained Tech 534-288.

The game might have been the last at Stanford for Luck and Harbaugh. Luck, a sophomore, is projected as the likely first pick in the NFL draft if he turns pro this year. Harbaugh is expected to be courted by NFL teams and perhaps alma mater Michigan after leading the Cardinal to a school-record win total.

Stanford began to pull away by going the length of the field in 29 seconds in the third quarter. After Delano Howell made an interception at the 3 to snuff a Tech threat, Taylor busted loose and reached Hokies territory. On the next play, Luck threw deep to Fleener for a 26-12 lead.

Luck also threw for a safety that cut Stanford’s lead to 7-2. His pass was batted backward by Antoine Hopkins to 303-pound offensive tackle Derek Hall, who caught the ball rather than knocking it down and was tackled in the end zone.

The Hokies’ offense had trouble scoring, though. Tyrod Taylor threw for 222 yards but was held to 22 yards rushing, and Tech twice came away empty after driving inside the Stanford 35.

Taylor’s scrambling skills helped the Hokies score their only touchdown. On third and goal he rolled left, retreated, spun 180 degrees and threw to David Wilson for an 11-yard score.

Tyrod Taylor moved the Hokies 60 yards in the final 47 seconds of the first half to set up a 37-yard field goal by Chris Hasley, but they netted only 109 yards in the second half.